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Thursday, 28 October 2010

Self Healing Art Course - week 2 - (part 1 of 2)

Week 2 of the on line course 'Art, Heart and Healing' offered free by the very generous Tam on her ning site Willowing & Friends was all about altering a board book and taking us back to our childhood.

The first spread (two pages in the book) was to incorporate an acrylic image transfer of a childhood photograph and then messages of what we would have wished for ourselves. Obviously I wished for happiness, good health and love and fortunately I have been blessed with all of these things, but rather than including those I decided to use the words of a lovely song I remember from school and still sometimes sing it to this day!

'Glad That I live Am I'.

For my spread I used this photograph of myself as a young child

I've done image transfers before quite sucessfully, but not this time! I had three or four attempts at it and the finished result is far from perfect. I dared not rub any more of the paper off for fear of the whole thing rubbing off again. I think I went wrong with my preparation of the board book. The pages were super shiny, high gloss - and I should really have either peeled the first shiny layer off, or have given them a good sanding. As it was my gesso kept peeling off. I tried an acetate transfer for the first time. I printed the photo sucessfully onto the acetate, but failed miserably when trying to transfer it - it seems that using an inkjet printer is no good for this technique and a toner based one would be better. In the end I transferred an image printed on paper (on my inkjet printer) and it certainly has a vintage feel - lol. Note the strategically placed flowers on the image - covering up some holes in the paper.

I think this must be the grungiest thing I have ever done - but I do quite like it! The background was gesso, gesso, gesso (as it kept rubbing off!), water soluble crayons, white acrylic paint brayered on, printed text, more white acrylic and rubber stamping. Unfortunately when I coloured the printed text with crayons and diluted them with water, some of the words smudged quite badly - all adds to the grunginess of it I suppose.

I'll do a separate post for the second part of this week's course, otherwise this post will go on and on and on!

Wow! Sherry I think you have done amazing. Sorry to hear about the transfer/Gesso hassles.. well done for keeping going. Love your finished pages, nothing wrong with a well placed flower ;) see we would never have known! Loving your grunginess. :) Would love to know what you think of your new crayons.. no sign of any landing on my doormat just yet.. the pink is still out of stock.. not too worried as it's the school hols this week sooo I am focusing my creative skills on Lego.. hehe. Enjoy part 2 of this class. Love Gez.xx

Fabby pages Sherry! Cute pic! You did a great job. I've not had a chance to do this weeks project yet, been busy with the school hols, and pup's op yesterday, so looking forward to having a go next week :)jan x

I haven't started yet onthis week's project but I've been trying to keep up with all the beautiful work being done. I think I will peel the top layer off my book as I can't bear sanding lol. Had to laugh about the strategically placed flower - I've had to do that more than once with a transfer. By the way, there is a little something for you on my blog....